Marine leg unloading apparatus



Dec. 2-6, 1944. H. K. HERR'lcK ET AL 2,365,818

MARINE LEG UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 27, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 26; 1944. H. K. HERRICK ET AL MARINE LEG UNLOADING APPARATUS F iled Nov 27, 1942 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 II PW '/(46 M2661 7 Z? 4 s.

Dec. 26, 1944. H. K. HERRICK ET AL MARINE LEG UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 27, 1942 "ISheets-Sheetfi INVENTORS. cji/cficggcck &5d 7370 fibys Q. P. U WW R W a, Q, mar "a 3 RV A w i 4 g m A Wm 7 SheetS-Sheet 4 H. K. HERRICK ETAl Dec. 26, 1944.

MARINE LEG UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 2'7, 1942 Dec. 26, 1944.

H. K. HERRICK ET AL MARINE LEG UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 27, 1942 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS.

Dec; 26, 1944. H. K. HERRICK ET AL 2,355,813

MARINE LEG UNLOADING APPARATUS '7 Sheets-She et 6 Filed Nov. 27, 1942 at; P/

/ raw/f/cv /7 Dec. 26, 1944. H. K. HERRICK ET AL. 2,365,818

I MARINE LEG UNLOADING APPARATUS I Filed Nov. 27, 1942 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 :zilllllll m;

25 ABOVE HORIZONTAL INVENTORS.

neers from the more or less diagrammatic views without specific description and illustration.

The truck for supporting t e apparatus and distributing the load to the rails on the wharf irrespective of unevennesses is fully disclosed in a copending application, Serial Number 467,129, filed of even date herewith.

The boom The boom is also fabricated of structural steel and its frame construction will be sufficiently understood from the plans in Figs. 5 and 6 and the elevations in Figs. 1, 4 and '7. shown in plan in Fig. 5, is split to the cross brace 34 to provide clearance for the marine leg in the extreme lower position of theboom, shown in Fig. 2. The bottom chord, shown in plan in Fi 6, is split to the cross brace 35 to provide clearance for the marine leg in the stowed position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The two chords are interconnected into a cantilever beam structure by the struts and braces 35 and 31. At the rear, or to the left in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7, the boom is also forked and comprises two curved arms 38 stiffened by braces 33 (Fig. 9) and providing drum surfaces 40, 4| and 42.

The drum surfaces 4| receive cables 43, cooperating with the -drum 3! to hoist the boom.

The compensating counterweight and backhaul rope system In one embodiment of the apparatus that has proved successful the trunnions H are more than 46 feet above the surface of the rails 2| on the wharf and from the trunnions I! to the horizontal shaft I5, from which the marine leg is swung, is in excess of 63 feet. From this it will be obvious that the structure in stowed position is comparable to the height of a twelve story The top chord,

building and is subject to enormous wind stresses in addition to those imposed by the weight of the structure itself and the tonnage during operation. The operator must have certain control of the boom throughout the entire range of the I up and down movement regardless of the directtion and intensity of the wind. And, in addition,

the overhanging weight of the boom and the associated parts in operative positions must be offset to prevent excessive burden on the hoisting machinery and consequent excessive cost in pronected in series by chains 48, the upper ends of which are secured to a beam 49 by clevises 50. The beam is supported by cables 5| running over drum surfaces 40 and 42 and made fast to them near their forward portions. At the lower ends the cables 5| are secured to an equalizer 52 which, in turn, is secured to a clevis 53 made fast to the beam 49.

The opposite ends of the chains 48 are secured to a beam 49a which, in turn, is made fast to the backhaul cables 33 by clevises 54. The cables 33 are looped over sheaves or pulleys 55, mounted on the top of the tower frame and beyond the pulleys the cables 33 are trained downwardly along the drum surfaces 40 and 42 between the cables 5! and made fast adjacent to the lower ends thereof.

The proportions between the counterweight system and the parts to be counterweighted, the number of weights, their spacing and length and proportions of the backhaul ropes or cables depend somewhat on personal preference and judgment, and will be varied to meet particular conditions. In the installation above mentioned there are four weights of 25,000 pounds each. When the boom is in horizontal position the four weights are as indicated in Fig. 7, and for other positions thereof within the operating range they will be somewhat higher or lower, according to the position of the boom. In that particular design all of the weight is used as a counterbalance from a position 29 /z above horizontal to a position 22 below horizontal. As the boom rises from 29 A above horizontal, first the weight 41, then the weight 46, then th weight 45, passes away from the right side of the loop formed by the chains 48 and the cables 33 (Figs.

1 and 7) and go up on the left side. As they do so they change their action from tending to raise the boom to tending to lower the boom. In the stowed position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, something in excess of 75,000 pounds of the weights is acting to lower the boom and the pull on the hoisting rope, with maximum estimated wind, is about the same as when the boom is in-the horizontal position. The loss or gain of a weight on one side of the system is completed in about 4 /2 feet of rope travel, or 14%; angular motion of the boom.

The distribution can be changed in proportion at any time by a minor shift in rope lengths or varying the amount of the individual weights.

The trolley carriage for the elevator leg The elevator leg I0 is mounted on the horizontal shaft I5 by means of, a ball and socket joint 60, which permits the leg to swing like a pendulum, also to have a limited torsional movement about the diameter of the ball.

The carriage for the shaft includes two trolley frames 6| (Figs. 10, 11 and 12), each of which has four flanged wheels 62, running on the bottom flanges 63 of a beam 64, secured to and suspended below the boom by brackets 65 and 66. Guide rollers 61 in the trolley frame run along the lower sides of the flanges 63 and steady the trolleys. The carriage ismoved in and out along the beam 54 and held in various operative positions by screws 68, driven by a motor 69, through suitable gearing 10. Some will prefer to use an endless cable and drum in place of the screws and that sort of shifting mechanism will have advantages under some conditions.

The belt conveyors The belt conveyors 24 and 25 on the boom and the belt conveyor 21 on the tower frame, each include a belt ll, supporting idlers 12, return rollers 13 and separate motor driving mechanism 14, all mounted on a suitable frame here shown, for simplicity, a forming housings l5, l6 and 11, for the respective conveyors.

The forward end of the frame 15 for the conveyor 24 is equipped with downwardly inclined arms 18, terminating in saddle shoes 1.9.(Figs. 11'

and 12) resting upon and made fast to the, shaft 15 at each side of the elevator leg Ill. The 'opp0=- site end of the conveyor frame 15 has supporting rollers running on tracks within the housing frame 16 of the conveyor 25. By comparing Figs. '7, 8 and 13, itwill be clear how the conveyor 24, with its housing, may move in and out with the trolley carriage and the elevator leg and telescope into and out of the housing frame 16 of the conveyor 25. Suitable weather strips 8| make a tight eiiv en he; onver e-1 h i in irtr inesa' t formeris;providedgwith a spout 26 (Fig; 13) '00- I operatingwith a, funnel 82 'on the latter; The spout 2;B- is, in effect, a continuationof the housing-frame 18 at; the tailend of the conveyor belt Hfand includes along curved wall 83; opposed toa generally fiat wall 8 4;both;le adi ng to a dis;- charge opening 85', which in all positionsof the boombetween 22-belowhorizontal and 25 above horizontal, communicates with the; funnel; 82, as will-appear: from Figs; 14 and 15. Beyond the wall 84-thewall is continued at BBto form a closingseal for the funnel 8;.

The 5 cooperating edges of the spout 26 and the funnel '8-2- are interlocked or overlapped to make weather-tightseal; For instance, as shown at 8'! in 17; At theup per left of the funnel-82 in Fig: lg there is a -sloping-wall 88-cooperating with the' outer-surface of the wall 83 and the joint is made weather-tight by suitable weather strips 89;" The opposite wall-of the funnel 8 2 is provided w-ith-acurved wall 90; cooperating with thewall 85; and the wall 83 to close the opening 85'when the boom is in extreme elevated positions, as shownin Fig.16,

The marine leg I I] is entirely enclosed and;with the-telescoping chute 23; the housing 'framesfor theconveyors and the cooperating spout and funnel,- the entire path of the sugar from the 35 port-Lon t/ beamemd in the-spacebeship to the conveyor 28, under the shed 29; is

enclosed so as to protect it from contamination and the weather.

B applying the hoistingand counterweight forces to-the drum surfaces on the boom, the use of a jib, andall of itsattendant incidents, is eliminatedgwith; a great saving in head room. This appears verystrikingly in the stowed position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a supporting frame, a boom mounted on the frame to swing up and down through a vertical angle between an upper stowed position and lower operating positions, a carriage movable in and out along the boom, a marine leg mounted to swing from the carriage, and adjustable conveyor means mounted on the boom and comprisin a section movable along the boom having one end connected to the carriage and a cooperating section mounted in fixed position on the boom and discharging at the frame.

2. In a device of the class described, a supporting frame, a boom mounted on the frame to swing up and down through a vertical angle between an upper stowed position and lower operating positions, a carriage movable in and out along the boom, a marine leg mounted to swing from the carriage and extending above same, adjustable conveyor means mounted on the boom and comprising a section movable along the boom having one end connected to the carriag and a cooperating section mounted in fixed position on the boom and discharging at the frame, and, an automatically adjustable delivery connection between the upper end of the marine'leg and the adjacent section of the conveyor means.

3. In a device of the class described, a supporting frame, a boom mounted on the frame to swing up and down through a vertical angle between ill 0 e 9 wi gi r mz theparriaeer nd. el v rz d he fir t-comm n.

4 n; eyice;ofi hes lass-rdescr b d.aisi pn t e ineef amei abeemmountedeonthegframe; t win nwanda; dewn; hrou h a-;. vertical; angle. between iti ns, an:-el n ated onv yor; ex en ing.- len th.- wisealong; the-,reargportion of the-,iboom, acaria e mova leinandnut al n t e-,i rwardvponcitscfflrw dzendzconn ctedt he carriage andhav ng tsireanend movable a1 ng.-the-;boom in oyerlapping; relation; to. the; first; conveyor so asto ischar e hereom a mar ne l g moun e to swing from the carriage and raise materialto a 1pe tab e1the level. ther o and: a. colla si ut :for; delivering material. fromi aid'point; to theisecondconveyor.

5. Ina;device;of; the clasexlescribed, a- -supp.ort..- in frame; a erkeddboom mounted; on the; frame tei wing p: n ;.clownv through .a; vertical, angle etween; an pperstowed positionand lower, opera atingmsitions;.an'zeleneatedconveyor. extending len hwi lOI .;the. ear; Portion of the boom. .a carrie imov blerin. an c ilt: long he forwar tween, the; f ks thereof; a second elongated; comveyor, havingits forward end connected to, the

carria e, and ;having ;its ,irear end, movable along the boom in overlappingrelation to the first conveyorso s to disch r e-thereon; ancka marine leg mounted to swing from the carriage andgdee liver to the first :conveyor.:

6. In a device of the class described, a supporting frame, a boom mounted on the frame to swing up and down through a vertical angle between an upper stowed position and lower operating positions, a carriage movable in and out along the outer end portion of the boom, adjustable conveyor means mounted on the boom and comprising a section movable along the boom having one end connected to the carriage and a cooperating section mounted in fixed position on the boom and discharging at the frame, a marine leg mounted to swing from the carriage and delivering to the adjacent section of the conveyor means, and means including a cable connected directly to the boom for hoisting the boom to stowed position, said hoisting means being independent of thecarriage whereby the carriage, the adjacent section of the conveyor means and the marine leg may be moved towards the inner end of the boom for storage.

'7. In a device of the class described, a supportin frame, a boom mounted on the frame to swing up and down through a vertical angle between an upper stowed position and lower operating positions, said boom having a curved arm at its rear end portion, a carriage movable in and out along the outer end portion of the boom, a conveyor movable lengthwise along the boom and having its outer end connected to the carriage, a marine leg mounted to swing from the carriage and delivering to the conveyor, and.means including a cable connected directly to the boom and trained around said curved arm and adapted to be pulled for hoisting the boom to stowed position, said means being independent of the carriage whereby the carriage, conveyor and marine leg may be moved toward the inner end of the boom for storage.

8. In a device of the class described, a support ing frame, a boom mounted on the frame to swing up and down through a vertical angle between an upper stowed position and lower operating positions, a carriage movable in and out along the outer end portion of the boom, a marine leg mounted to swing from the carriage, adjustable conveyor means mounted on the boom and comprising a section movable along the boom having one end connected to the carriage and a cooperating section mounted in fixed position on the boom and discharging at the frame, and means including a cable connected directly to the boom and adapted to be pulled for hoisting the boom the boom and comprising a section movable along the boom having one end connected to the carriage and a cooperating section mounted in fixed position on th boom and discharging at the frame, and means operating on the boom, independent of the carriage, for raising and lowering the boom whereby the carriage and the marine leg may be moved toward the lower end of the boom and the boom held in elevated position for storage.

10. In a device of the class described, a sup-' porting frame, a boom fulcrumed on the frame and divided by the fulcrum into an inner operating arm and an outer load-carrying arm, a carriage movable in and out along the load-carrying arm, a marine leg mounted to swing from the carriage, conveyor means on the boom for receiving material from the marine leg, said means comprising a section movable along the boom having one end connected to the carriage and a cooperatin section mounted in fixed position on the boom and discharging at the frame, and meansoperating directly on the operating arm, independent of the carriage, for raising and lowering the boom between lower operating positions and an upper stowed position with the carriage and the marine leg moved toward the fulcrum.

11. In a device of the class described, a supporting frame, a boom fulcrumed on the frame and divided by the fulcrum into an inner operating arm and an outer load-carrying arm comprising two members connected in side by side spaced relation adjacent to the fulcrum and un-' connected at the outer end of said arm whereby said arm is of open-ended fork construction, a carriage movable in and out along the load-carrying arm, a marine leg mounted to swing from the carriage, between the forks, conveyor means on the boom for receiving material from the marine leg, said means comprising a section movable along the boom having one end connected to the carriage and a cooperating section mounted in fixed position on the boom and discharging at the frame, and means operating directly on the operating arm, independent of the carriage, for raising and lowering the boom through a vertical angle between lower operating positions with the carriage in adjusted position on the load-carrying arm and an upper stowed position with the carriage and the marine leg moved toward the fulcrum.

HOMER K. HERRICK. CHARLES J. HORN. 

